News & Events Archive

Car dealerships around the country are suffering irreplaceable losses due to thefts. The first step towards protecting your car dealership is vigilance. As the key to vigilance is staying informed, below is a list of recent incidents of car dealership theft.

Oregon, Ohio

27-year-old Keith Terry of Farmington Hills, Michigan is currently being held in Lucas County jail for stealing a car from an Oregon, Ohio dealership. Apparently, this is only one crime in a series of car dealership crimes (targeted at small sport utility vehicles and GM products) occurring in northwest Ohio. These possibly connected criminals approach dealerships as potential buyers and switch out the dealerships’ car keys with keys of their own. Once the dealerships are closed for the evening, the criminals return for the targeted cars.  Fortunately, in the incident of Keith Terry, the car dealership employee immediately recognized the false key and alerted the police. Keith Terry was charged with auto theft and is being held in lieu of a $25,000 bond.

San Francisco, CA

A burglar breaking into the British Motor Car Distributors dealership in San Francisco through the building’s roof and stealing Food Network star Guy Fieri’s (Guys Big Bite, Minute to Win It, and Diners, Drive-ins and Dives) yellow 2008 Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder.

Las Vegas, NV

There has been a recent increase in catalytic converter theft from underneath parked vehicles in. This theft is especially common for car dealerships in Las Vegas. According to Chapman Dodge Chrysler Jeep General Manager, Don Harrick, “It hasn’t just been in our store. It’s been a number of other dealerships in Las Vegas. I’ve spoken to other dealers within the franchise organization, and they are seeing this happen a lot too.”

Catalytic converters not only assist in filtering car exhaust, but contain highly-valuable platinum (which is currently worth more than gold). The catalytic converter criminals make quick cash at recycling centers.

While these criminals are only stealing a fraction of the car, these costs are amounting to thousands of dollars for dealerships. Though catalytic converters requires quite a bit of effort and hardware to remove, some dealerships still face up to six thefts in a night. Las Vegas Police are staying vigilant about this new theft trend.

Knowing about the kinds of car dealership crimes around the country (false keys, roof entry and catalytic converter theft) is your first step towards taking action. The next step is prevention, and live video monitoring can be a dealership’s first line of defense against would-be perpetrators. Old technology including burglar alarms or event based monitoring is not reliable and reacts to incidents after they have occurred.

Many car dealerships who have existing cameras can contact live video monitoring providers to have their cameras watched at night which is the real value in a camera system.  Live video monitoring can help protect your car dealership with continuously streaming video, real time video analytics, customized virtual guard services, and trained operators who will witness suspicious activity in progress and immediately activate speakers and contact local authorities.

In the past couple of years, the price of precious metals has increased steadily, making gold, silver, copper, and others a hot commodity. While this news is great for commodities investors, it is having an unexpected side effect. Unfortunately, precious metal theft has drastically increased, proving that investors are not the only ones looking to cash in on global market trends.

According to a report released by the National Insurance Crime Bureau, precious metal theft (96% of which is copper theft) has steadily increased since 2009, posing a serious threat to our nation. Specifically, commercial real estate properties, auto dealers, and city owned property are being targeted among other facilities with outdoor assets.  Beyond just being an inconvenience to have items like your catalytic converter taken from you, copper theft causes hundreds of thousands of dollars of property damage.

It seems that especially in areas where no security video monitoring is present, copper thieves will go to absurd lengths to steal the precious metal. There have been incidences of criminals taking the coils out of exposed air conditioners, ripping out the exposed wiring from utility meters, stealing brass plates, and stripping the metal off of rooftops. Often these crimes are committed at great personal risk—people have been electrocuted trying to cut through copper wiring—but the thefts are seemingly lucrative enough for the thieves to persist.

For those commercial businesses that have risk of copper theft and exposed HVAC units it is certainly worthwhile to consider security video monitoring, and Stealth Monitoring is the industry leader in surveillance protection. Stealth can help reduce crime and property damage through a proactive approach to security. Rather than wait for an alarm to be tripped and trying to catch the criminals after the fact, Stealth manages onsite surveillance from a remote Live Video Monitoring control center, which can catch nefarious characters in the act. This control center is staffed not only with IT personnel, but also police and military trained professionals, who have experience catching these trespassers.

Using high-tech video analytics and state-of-the-art surveillance technology, Stealth Monitoring provides virtual guard services that can have you resting easy knowing your business is being safely watched over. Each Stealth client provides specific instructions with the control center regarding what to do as if the client is watching the cameras themselves including remotely locking gates to directly informing the police.

The report about the copper thefts is indicative of a dangerous trend that poses a direct and personal threat to everyday people. Do not wait to deal with the aftermath of damage to your commercial property, but rather take the Stealth Monitoring proactive approach to security. Call Stealth at 1-855-783-2584 for more information.

Copper theft has always been an issue, but never as much as it has been in the past few years. Not only have incidences of copper theft been popping up more and more, but they have been occurring in higher volumes. No business or household, no matter how large or small, is protected from the threats of copper theft.

Most recently, governors in five states have signed copper theft laws. Georgia has been hit especially hard with copper thefts. Last year alone, the state had a record number of 143 copper theft incidences, and this year, it has already had 29. Each incident is estimated to cost between $3,000 and $5,000 in damage, and some instances slide by without even being officially reported.

The law passed in Georgia prevents cash payments, requires registration of recyclers, and instituted maintenance of a statewide database. All these measures were put into place to curtail crimes. Tom Parker, vice president of external affairs and member relations at Georgia Transmission Corp., is certain they will work. Scrap dealers in West Virginia should heed caution when dealing with properties marked as being owned by a telephone, cable, electric, water or other utility provider. Kentucky, Iowa and Washington State have all implemented similar pieces of legislature.

For those in states without legislation, or even for those in legislative-protected states who are looking for a bit of extra protection, Stealth Monitoring has experience in preventing copper theft. Stealth Monitoring realizes that copper theft is a serious problem and millions of commercial properties are at risk of thousands of dollar of property damage.

According to sources, approximately $1 billion per year in copper wire thefts plague this country, and preventative measures must be taken. Stealth Monitoring customizes live video monitoring systems to monitor your property/business for a variety of problems: theft, vandalism, suspicious activity and yes, even copper theft. In addition to recording everything that is occurring using DVR technology, the video cameras used by Stealth Monitoring are proactively being watched by trained professionals for a fraction of the cost of security guards. Stealth’s proactive monitoring service is very advanced unlike traditional burglar alarm central stations waiting for an alarm or trigger.  Stealth can activate speakers, lights, gates, and other electronic devices to deter trespassers.  Stealth also works closely with Police Departments to catch criminals in the act.  In today’s economy, the proactive approach is the best to take. So be proactive and call Stealth Monitoring today!

Stealth Monitoring is pleased to announce its membership in the Apartment Association of Greater Dallas, or “AAGD.” We offer advanced security solutions, including remote live video monitoring that is done from our security control center in Dallas. We’ve built a reputation among property managers for providing a safer and more secure living environment for their residents. We have thousands of cameras and hundreds of real estate clients across the country. Not only do we proactively watch surveillance systems all across North America, but we design, install, and service these surveillance systems as well. Stealth Monitoring provides apartment complexes with customized live video monitoring and excellent customer service.

Stealth Monitoring has helped many landlords reduce property damage, cut down on guard expenses, and avoid unwanted visitors. We have many references available within the apartment community, and we have a vested interest in the long term reliability of our systems. We propose that onsite property managers will watch the cameras during the day, and certified/trained operators at Stealth will watch the cameras at night. We have captured many undesirables and prevented property crimes, including damaging gates, trespassing, vandalizing clubhouses, HVAC/copper theft, break-ins, and parking lot issues, among others. By catching these undesirables in progress, we can take action in real time by activating speakers, turning on lights, opening gates, dispatching police, communicating with guard patrols, and/or contacting property managers.

The breadth of our experience ranges from challenging distressed properties to high-end communities. No matter the size of the property, we ensure that appropriate security technology is being utilized to maintain a safe and secure home for residents. One satisfied client recently stated, “Our property in East Dallas used to have all types of scary, violent property crimes, and now our residents and neighbors feel like it’s Fort Knox, thanks to the security relationship with Stealth Monitoring.”

For more information about the Apartment Association of Greater Dallas, click here.

For more information about Stealth Monitoring, visit the Surveillance Services page by clicking here.

The Arlington City Council has approved a new ordinance that requires gas wells to comply with new security and safety rules. The guidelines were passed in order to minimize the long-term impact of gas drilling on infrastructure, the environment and the redevelopment potential of properties. The ordinance covers stricter regulations for well site security, aesthetics and a simplification of the permit process along with the installation of surveillance cameras and limits of the placement of diesel-powered drilling rigs within 450 feet of residences and protected areas.

Video surveillance is useful, but not if no one is watching the live feed, in real time. With recent statistics up for criminal activity, including significant property damage, a surveillance system can be a company’s number one line of deterrence and defense. When choosing a surveillance system there are many factors to take into account including:

1)   The number of cameras needed.

2)   Placement of cameras on the property.

3)   Lighting/ night vision capability for the cameras.

4)   How the video feed is utilized.

5)   Having the cameras watched in real time.

6)   Response protocols for potential crimes.

Without the expertise of an experienced surveillance company, the new monitoring system you purchase will not be as valuable. Why spend money on a surveillance system if no one is watching? Stealth proactively watches from their high-tech control center, which is staffed with police and military trained personnel, IT technicians, and supervisors. In many cases, the quality of the people who are actively watching the footage for any sign of possible criminal activity is as important as the technology you use to monitor your property. Live video monitoring is the key to having an interactive security solution to reduce crimes in progress.

Stealth Monitoring follows the latest CFATS standards for any facilities with sensitive chemicals.  Please contact Stealth for any consultation, design, or security expertise regarding your facility.

Call Stealth Monitoring today for more information at 1-855-STEALTH (783-2584).

As published in the last issue of D Magazine, Marshall Mills, the president and COO of The Weitzman Group and Cencor Realty Services, discussed his experience with using Stealth Monitoring technology to improve security. At one of Cencor’s North Dallas retail properties, a man set a ladder against the back wall of the center in order to steal copper tubing and strip the AC units of their valuable parts.

Luckily, the Stealth Monitoring system caught this thief in the act, using 24-hour live video surveillance before any damage was done. With copper theft on the rise, businesses need to deter and reduce crime actively, instead of only responding to criminal acts. Using a high tech solution of streaming video, motion detection and video analytics with the experience and skills of live trained operators, Stealth Monitoring is the most advanced monitoring service on the market today.

As Mr. Mills stated in his article, “Because of the live surveillance, false alarms under this new system are rare. Stealth will dispatch police when illegal activity shows up on their monitors, and police are able to respond quickly—not after the fact.”

Be very aware of criminals who will stop at nothing to strip down your business, property or even churches. In early December of this year, copper thieves did $10,000 dollars in damage to The Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in San Diego. In Baltimore thieves are stealing entire copper gutters. In Lexington, KY thieves have been stealing copper highway lights, over 12,000 feet of wire was taken earlier this month. It is time to do a review of the security measures for your property or business. Call Stealth Monitoring today for more information at 1-855-STEALTH (783-2584).